Aetna and UHC utterly suck. I've had horrible experiences with both. And it pains me that my Medicare supplemental and Part D policies are UHC via AARP. And I refuse to go to Humana because they're even sleazier. I just re-upped, and will hope that a year from now, when open enrollment comes around again, there will be better options.

The state of Illinois has just offered its 'over 65' retirees a Medicare Advantage plan offered by United Healthcare after 'kicking' them out of the state-sponsored supplemental plan they have been in for decades. From what I read on the 'internets', United Healthcare (heavily endorsed ny AARP!) is 'kicking out' doctors all over the US. WTF is a 'Medicare Advantage' plan?

A Medicare Advantage plan takes the place of a Medicare A+ Medicare B with a supplemental plan like Blue Cross/ Blue Shield or Humana or someone else. SO why have all this ? well Medicare A pays Hospital and Medicare B pays Drs visits, clinics, etc, BUT you're still stuck with 20% of the out patient costs. SO many on Medicare keep a supplemental plan to pay the other 20% -like Blue Cross/ Blue Shield or Humana...so they have very little out of pocket expenses. On a fixed Sr income even 20% can be tough !

Medicare Advantage is like having the above but without the 3rd company. The Advantage is similar to your other coverage. Now you won't have 20% out of pocket expenses, but it doesn't cover 100% of your costs either, but it's cheaper than a 3rd policy. They try to give Srs as many options as possible.Make sense?

Indeed, I had a 15 minute or so episode of checking into the latest thinking on whether viruses were alive or not because of another post you made. The case does seem to be, by the definitions given for life by science, viruses don't quite cut the mustard.

Indeed, I had a 15 minute or so episode of checking into the latest thinking on whether viruses were alive or not because of another post you made. The case does seem to be, by the definitions given for life by science, viruses don't quite cut the mustard.

Yes - here's the summation I give in class.1. They can't survive /replicate without a host cell (small group of bacteria fall here- Chlamydia and Rickettsia- the rest can !)2. They have no organelles like cells (neither do bacteria).3. They cannot make their own ATP (neither can Chlamydia but all other bacteria can).

BUT 4. they also lack ribosomes (bacteria have them).5. They have no basic metabolism. (bacteria DO)6. They have only 1 nucleic acid DNA OR RNA - (bacteria and all other "living organisms" have both DNA & RNA !)That pretty much makes them infectious particles.They also have very small genomes (<5% the size of most bacteria) and very few proteins associated with the nucleic acid.

A Medicare Advantage plan takes the place of a Medicare A+ Medicare B with a supplemental plan like Blue Cross/ Blue Shield or Humana or someone else. SO why have all this ? well Medicare A pays Hospital and Medicare B pays Drs visits, clinics, etc, BUT you're still stuck with 20% of the out patient costs. SO many on Medicare keep a supplemental plan to pay the other 20% -like Blue Cross/ Blue Shield or Humana...so they have very little out of pocket expenses. On a fixed Sr income even 20% can be tough !

Medicare Advantage is like having the above but without the 3rd company. The Advantage is similar to your other coverage. Now you won't have 20% out of pocket expenses, but it doesn't cover 100% of your costs either, but it's cheaper than a 3rd policy. They try to give Srs as many options as possible.Make sense?

I say Medicare for all and screw the private providers !

What really pi$$es me off is that IF I sign up for this 'Advantage' plan, I will NOT be allowed to add a supplemental policy to essentially cover me 'head to toe' and bring down my expenses to almost zero. Also, just about everyone tells me that a) some doctors do NOT accept 'Advantage' plans, and b) a 'Medigap' plan is More expensive but provides better and less restrictive coverage. Any truth to that?

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